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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27972212">Fear of Rejection</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/immortalje/pseuds/immortalje'>immortalje</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Fear And Love [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Doctor Who (2005)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Episode: s01e13 The Parting of the Ways, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2019-04-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2019-04-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 15:47:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>383</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27972212</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/immortalje/pseuds/immortalje</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The Doctor's afraid. He'll never admit it, but he was afraid he would be rejected.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ninth Doctor/Jack Harkness</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Fear And Love [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2048781</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Fear of Rejection</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Spoilers for "The Parting of the Ways". This was also written in 2013 or earlier.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After all things where done and the Time Vortex was safely back where it belonged, the Doctor gave himself a moment to relax and let things go by again. Jack, his beloved Jack, who had been dead not even minutes ago, was alive again. Rose had made it possible right after destroying the Daleks; Rose, who had nearly died as a result of it. The only way to save her, had been to risk his own life, so instead, he was the one dying now. Or at least, his physical body was dying and he'd be exchanging it for a new one, including new mannerisms, voice, clothing style and all around personality.</p><p>He knew Rose would eventually get used to the new him. He believed in it. After all, Rose loved the travelling and the adventures too much to give them up. With time, things would get back into their old rhythm again. The only question was how long it would take.</p><p>Jack was a different story however. He had the knowledge to travel on his own, find adventures worthy of his attention. Jack didn't need him the way Rose did. So what would keep him? Who knew if Jack would find his new body attractive enough or if he’d like the new personality? The more he thought about it, the surer he was that Jack wouldn't stick around once he had changed. Jack would have way more difficulties adjusting and he could always find his own way around time and space. He'd never admit it, but he was afraid of the rejection that would follow his change.</p><p>The Doctor didn't notice that he was trying to convince himself, trying to justify what he was about to do while completely ignoring the part of him that insisted that Jack wasn't this shallow, at least not in this relationship they had. Neither did he consider what he would tell Rose. All he focused on was that he couldn't handle the rejection that would follow. Never once did he consider that Jack might want to stay with them.</p><p>Therefore, as soon as he saw Jack enter the room on his screen, he hurried to depart, leaving Jack behind before he could utter a sound of rejection, mentally telling himself that it was better this way.</p>
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